Previously in this column I discussed how certain founders went about supplanting the original sister document to the Declaration of Independence – the Articles of Confederation – with a new document – the constitution – in order to install a very different model of government.

As a result, out-of-control spending has cracked the very meaning of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

It is no wonder a growing majority of citizens have had enough. Yet, no one should assume that changing the incumbent majority is enough. What will it take? Our Constitution must be reconstituted, reinvigorated and recalibrated.

Here’s how we can begin. Reconstitution includes:

• The restoration of the original principles passed by the 39 delegates in 1787; the restoration of three equal branches of government, with inherent checks and balances, in which new law is legislated, not adjudicated; the judiciary decides based on what is in the U.S. Constitution; the Executive respects and acts in accordance with constitutional limits; and,

• The restoration of the original meaning and clarity of the first Ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution (Bill of Rights) as were required for the states to ratify; and,

• The restoration of state’s authority and control over the federal government by reconstituting into the U.S. Constitution the system used in the Articles of Confederation in which the states directly specify what the federal government is permitted to do or not do.

Reinvigoration includes:

• The U.S. House is the only chamber in which spending bills can originate. Members are directly elected by citizens in their districts.

• The U.S. Senate is the only congressional chamber involved with foreign affairs, approves all foreign treaties, confirms federal executive branch appointments, etc. Senators are selected to represent their respective states by the elected members within the general assembly of each state (repealing the 17th Amendment).

• Total funding of all responsibilities assigned by the States to the Federal level of government is paid by each state on the basis of a census count of individuals (citizens and non-citizens) who were resident in that state at the time of prior census.

Recalibration includes:

• Each chamber of the Congress establishes a standing committee to independently review each Supreme Court decision. Within five days each committee must publish a preliminary assessment advising the public if correcting legislation is warranted including the appropriate rationale.

• No executive branch appointee with administrative authority, similar to or reasonably close to cabinet level can take office without full Senate confirmation. All such prior appointments require full hearings and formal confirmation. Further, no presidential or other executive branch appointee, announced or installed as a recess appointment is permitted to modify, change or make any new departmental policy until final Senate confirmation has been completed.

• States collect all taxes needed to fund both state and federal operations. Since each state – by census apportionment – pays their share of federal government operations, other taxes and fees collected by the state in order to fund state government operations, state programs as well as any other state subsidies are exclusively within the control of the people resident in that state.

These actions are only a beginning but there are others to be done in order to strengthen the Constitution and right the ship of state.

Richard Olivastro is president of Olivastro Communications and founder of Citizens For Change. He can be reached via e-mail at RichOlivastro@gmail.com or by phone at 1-877-Rich-Speaks.